Brief news summary

In a recent study, researchers delve into the idea of consciousness in artificial systems and strive to identify cases where AI might appear conscious without actually being so. They apply the free energy principle, emphasizing that while computers can simulate certain information processes found in living organisms, the distinct causal structure of brains and computers may be crucial for genuine consciousness. By drawing upon Karl Friston's free energy principle, the study explores the processes involved in maintaining a self-organizing system such as a living organism. It scrutinizes the disparities between the computational aspects of consciousness in conscious beings and computers, highlighting the importance of causal structure. The ultimate aim is to comprehend the conditions necessary for consciousness that conventional computers cannot meet, which would help mitigate the inadvertent development of conscious AI and address ethical concerns.